Travel With Betsy

“There’s a party going on right here…..”

Seriously! Not in my room, but in the Plaza Principal. It’s been going on all day. Actually, it’s a series of parties that are all running together. I just came back from the evening festivities. I don’t know why there’s a party going on, but it’s been really fun! Lots of music and dancing in the streets….and fireworks. Not the colorful ones, just the noisy ones. I can hear them as I sit in my room writing this post.

Have you ever looked up as you were aimlessly walking along and realized that you were right in the middle of a fun story? it happened to me twice today, and both times it was extraordinary. Let me tell you the stories…and some others, too..

I started my day at the Organic Farmer’s Market at the Instituto de Allende, a center geared towards the promotion of the arts. It reminded me a lot of the markets we have in San Luis Obispo and some of the other markets that I have seen while here in Mexico. The difference with this market is that the vendors who come to sell food and show their wares are required to pass a rigorous sanitation test before they are allowed to participate. (At least this is what one of the vendors told me. He is a fellow American, so I chose to believe him. I think he was right. I have not gotten sick and am grateful!)

What the sanitation inspection means for me and the expats that come to the market is that we can eat the food. I had a few samples of Mexican cheese, wine and chocolate, which were all quite tasty. I would have had more, but I had just eaten a huge breakfast and really just wasn’t hungry. So, I got a cup of coffee and sat down at a table with about 10 people….all expats…..all chatty….just like me. My favorite! I spent about an hour talking to these very nice folks! They wanted to know when I would be moving here. They said the pattern is that people come for a week and then the next time for 2 weeks and then for a few months. After that, they are hooked, sell all of their earthly possessions, buy a house and move here permanently. Wait a minute, I just did that to move to California. HMMM……

I then moved on to Juarez Park. You may remember it from another post. I thought I would go back there with my book at some point and just contemplate life. I never made it back. But, there was an art show going on today, so I decided to check it out. The setting was great. The vendors were spread throughout the park with their paintings set out on the park benches. I strolled through and looked at everything.

I am really loving the art here. There is a real variety. But, the Mexican culture is very colorful. So, many of the art pieces reflect the color and energy of the people here. I find it invigorating! After about an hour of this, I decided to head to the Plaza Principal (main square) to see what was going on. After all, it is Saturday. There must be something!

So, I wondered aimlessly up through the cobbled streets thinking of nothing at all really. When I got up to the square, I looked up and saw 2 huge paper mache figures dressed like a bride and groom standing in front of the Parroquia. I didn’t really know what was going on, but thought they were fun, so I took some pictures. There were also lots of vendors standing around selling balloons. They were fun, too, so I took some pictures. Then, I looked up towards the Parroquia and realized that someone was getting married. This intrigued me, as you might guess. I looked around and saw that people who were obviously not wedding guests were going right up to where the bride and groom were coming out of the church and were cheering them on. So, I did, too. I was having the best time!

The bride and groom continued on past the gate of the church to where the paper mache figures were standing. Then, a group of Mariachis walked up and started to play. (Can’t get enough of those guys!) In an instant, the paper mache bride and groom began to dance and then the bride and groom began to dance to the music of the Mariachis. They were all having so much fun and so was the crowd that was watching, including me. The paper mache figures swirled around the real bride and groom and danced on and on. It was a joyous scene!

Then, the Mariachis stopped playing and things died down a bit. I thought it was over and, so, excused myself to get an ice cream. It was hot, after all.

When I came out of the ice cream shop, I was right in front of the new married couple as they were dancing down the street with the Mariachis and the wedding attendees following behind. There was a burrow in the front, carrying the tequila for the reception. I stood and watched for awhile as they moved along, and realized that I was part of their story….their fun wedding story. That’s how it works here, everybody has a part! How great is that?!

Once the wedding party was out of range, I decided to take a stroll to the Biblioteca. I had to go to the bathroom, and it was the only one I knew about. It was closed…..darn. So, I started to head back to the main square again, when I heard music and spotted some police lights. I headed in that direction and had a surprise! There was a parade going on. There were lots of people dressed in funny costumes dancing through the streets to the now familiar Mexican beat!

I followed the parade for awhile and then stopped to watch the crowd. The children were the most fun to watch. The expressions of wonder and delight on their faces as they watched the characters dance were priceless. Some of the little girls that were watching had on Mexican skirts and would hold them out widely and twirl around to the beat of the music so that the skirts would flow out. They were so cute! Once again, I realized I was in the middle of a fun story. Twice in one day!

After all of that excitement, I realized I was hungry. So, went to find another of the restaurants recommended by my airplane friend. She has had a very good track record. I found the restaurant and sat down at one of the outdoor tables. As I got settled, I looked up and there were 2 women…one from the UK and one from the US…in front of me asking me if they could share my table. So, I invited them into my story…eating. HA!

So, friends, I have to tell you that this was the most cost efficient meal I have had so far. I had 3 soft shelled tacos filled with a yummy pork mixture, chips and salsa, and a beer for the whopping price of $8.50. Try and top that one! (Actually, you can here. But, you may not like the after effects.) Anyway, my new friends and I chatted while we ate and then parted ways. I was heading off for another concert and wanted to be sure to get there on time.

I made it to the concert and heard a lovely soprano, pianist and accordionist playing some traditional Mexican tunes. These were quite a bit more laid back than others I have heard while I have been here. They were very nice to listen to and the musicians were quite good. The singer had a very operatic style to her voice. Lovely!

After the concert, I headed back to the main square to hear more of the Mariachis (Just love those guys). I stayed for awhile and listened to the music and the noise of the fireworks.

I’m pretty tired now, so the party’s over for me for today. But, I have to say…..it was a really good one!

Another banner day here in San Miguel! I realized as I was walking around today that my experience here has been a treat for each one of the senses. Every day I see bright colors, smell extraordinary scents of food cooking, flowers, etc., taste incredible and varied flavors, touch interesting fabric textures as I look through the shops, and hear music from all different kinds of sources…sometimes all at the same time! I haven’t had this much stimulation in years! I’m liking it. The other thing I’m liking is that this is the low season here, which means fewer people, which leads to better service and special attention.

I told you in my last post that I was going to check out the tasting of local wines and then head to a concert at the Biblioteca. I did both and managed to fit in dinner as well. It was quite a night……followed by another fun-filled day.

Around 5:30 last night, I moseyed on over to the wine bar. It is located in an upscale hotel that is pretty close to where I would attend the concert. So, I figured I would taste wine and if I could still walk (HA!), I would go on over to the concert. What an interesting experience.

First, I was the only person in the bar. (Low season….remember?) So, I had the full attention of the Sommelier, German, who was beside himself at the prospect of sharing his wine with someone who works at a California winery. He was an interesting character in his own right. He knows a lot about wine and about business. He has a degree from Texas A & M in business and spent some time in Australia getting some sort of a wine certificate. I was pretty impressed. He talked about the lack of opportunities in Mexico for someone like him and hoped he could get to California to continue his wine education and work in some of the wineries. I hope he is able to do this. He hopes I will be able to help him….not possible. But, interesting…

For those of you who are winos like me, here’s a small review of what I had. All of the wine except for one was made in the Baja area of Mexico. The exception was made in France near Toulouse. German explained that even though the grapes came from France, the wine was made by Mexicans living in France. I guess that’s how they are able to categorize it as a Mexican wine. HMMMMM…… Not sure I am buying that one!

Anyway, the Baja region is the most developed of the wine regions here in Mexico and so, in German’s opinion, produced the best wines. There are some wines here that are more local, but German said I would be disappointed in them. So, Baja wines it is! I found all of the 6 wines he poured to be quite good. Some, of course, I liked better than others. But, much to my surprise, all were very solid. I had a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay for whites, in addition to a Carignon Blanc that was blended with Maccabeo, a grape that I have not heard of. At Adelaida, we grow Carignon, which is a red grape that is usually used in a blend. I have to say that the Carignon Blanc was not my favorite. But, it was interesting.

The reds were outstanding. I had a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Barbera, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah blend (my favorite) and another unusual blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Sirah, Barbera adn Zinfandel. The last 2 were my favorites, and I found myself unable to resist purchasing a bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah blend. Just what I need….another bottle of wine to add to my mounting 200 plus bottle collection. So, when you all come to my house for a Mexican Fiesta, I will open some of my stash and give you a swig of the Mexican wine as well. You could do worse, I’ll tell you that!

After the tasting, I was able to walk (barely) and, so, headed on to the concert at the Biblioteca. I walked up to the ticket office at the appointed time and handed over my 150 Pesos (about $12.00) for the concert. The vendor looked at me and said, “You are the only one in the audience.” I politely suggested that they may not want to do the concert for just one person. But, the ticket vendor and the performer insisted that “the show must go on”. And, so it did.

I had the full attention of the performer who regaled me with tunes on both the guitar and the harp. He was fantastic! My favorite pieces were the Flaminco numbers. I think they were his favorite, too. He and I had a great time talking about the music and the instruments as he went along. And, in the end, I thanked him again for doing a private concert just for me! He said he really enjoyed it (I think he did!) because he knew I was paying attention and watching him. I guess people often zone out during concerts…I’ve done it myself. It’s almost impossible to do when you are an audience of 1. So, 2 CDs later, I left him and went on to find dinner. When you come for the Mexican dinner and wine tasting, I will put the CDs on so that you, too, can experience the wonderful sounds.

I was hungry, so I decided that I would find one of the restaurants recommended by my airplane friend. It was in my neighborhood, so it would be easy to get home. It was getting late, and I wasn’t too keen on making a long trek for food. What a treat!

When I arrived, I was greeted by an American couple and a single woman at another table. We all talked about what we would eat. They were all having chicken pot pie, so I had it too. They are frequent long-term visitors and said they all come to this restaurant as soon as they get into town for the pot pie. They were right, it was great! Always love comfort food. We all chatted until we were through with dinner and then went our separate ways.

This morning I was up and at ’em early because I wanted to do the walking tour of San Miguel. The group meets at the Parroquia (I told you about that place yesterday). It takes me a few minutes walk into town, so I wanted to be on time.

I was early…talked to a few people sitting on the benches…and then met Kathleen (from Estes Park, CO), my tour guide. She looked around and said, “We aren’t supposed to do the tour unless there are at least 2 people. But, I see that you are very interested. So, we will go ahead and do it anyway….we won’t tell anyone. So, off we went. I had the best tour of San Miguel that you could possibly get….and had her undivided attention! When we passed the theater, she pointed out a concert that was going on in the evening and said that I really must go. So, we went around to the ticket office and I got a ticket for 100 Pesos (about $7.50). The show will be Mexican singing and dancing. Should be great! After about 3 hours she and I parted ways. I’m sure I will see her later at the concert.

I will sign off by telling you about my last feast of the senses for the day. I stopped at a restaurant on the edge of the Jardin for lunch that was recommended by my airplane friend. I had chips and guacamole with salsa (one of the best I have had here….really!!), 6 butterflied shrimp with garlic and chilis, rice, a salad, a beer and a cup of coffee (because I was so happy just sitting in the square) all for the whopping price of $22.00. I thought the cost to value ratio for this meal was outstanding. I’m very happy.

So, I’m heading off to see the Mariacchis in the Jardin. I missed them last night. Too much to do. And, then on to the concert. Fun times!

Hasta Manana!

……..will be held at the Whitaker/Cramer residence on Wednesday at 7:00 pm. Come prepared to say a few kind words on its behalf.

Sadly, today, mid-picture, my phone went black and has not come back on. I think it’s dead. No, I know it’s dead. How inconvenient. I have solicited the help of the Telecel people (Mexican cellular provider) and my new friend here in town that I met on Monday’s flight. (By the way, she did provide a list of fun things to do here this morning via email before my phone went dead. Very nice woman.) However, my phone is still dead. What that means for me is that I don’t have a clock. (I don’t wear a watch anymore and there are no clocks in my room.) What it means for all of you is that there will be no more pictures. Sorry.

Despite the phone debacle, I did manage to have a great day! The weather here has cooled off quite a bit and now it feels just like San Luis Obispo usually feels at this time of the year. No more profuse sweating. Lovely!

Again today, I did a very nice “sleep in”. Just cannot wake up in the morning. But, who cares really? I don’t have a time schedule on this trip. Nice relaxed pace for a change. But, again, after I realized I could miss breakfast, I was up and out within minutes.

I spent the majority of the day at “La Aurora”. It’s a little bit on the outskirts of town…too far to walk from where I am staying. So, I broke down and had a taxi deliver me there. It cost me about $2.50 American. It was worth it! What a delightful stop!

The Aurora used to be a cotton factory where fabric was weaved. It went gangbusters until international trade agreements changed in the early 1900s. The building is quite historical, and in the middle there is a pictorial history of the activities that went on when it was in full swing. Now, it is a facility for local artists to show their works and upscale vendors to show their wares. The overview I read said that the building is much as it was when it was functioning except for a restaurant and a small outdoor cafe. It was a delightful way to spend the day!

The building houses a wide variety of artists and shops. I saw art that reminded me of my favorite Monet waterlilies. It wasn’t exactly the same, but the ideas were very similar. There was also an artist that did art that was very like what Warhol did. It’s not my favorite, but I do appreciate the talent needed to pull that off. There were many rooms of extreme abstract art, which I really don’t understand. I like to see art that looks like things that are easily identifiable. Although, I have to say, that if you look at the abstract pieces long enough, you can usually put them together with an idea. It takes some looking, though. At least for me.

In addition, there were shops with beautiful glass items for sale, metal works, kitchen items, and home goods. There was even an upscale shop selling mattresses. The sales displays were quite nice with detailed explanations of the inner workings of the mattresses.

There was also a woman in a shop weaving cloth at a loom. She was fascinating to watch and was producing some of the prettiest cloth items I have seen on my travels. They were a little more than I wanted to spend on something like that, but the items were well worth it when you consider the time and effort that goes into the making of them.

The other section that I spend a lot of time with was a display of a joint education program with the Corcoran Museum. They have frequent classes on teaching people to connect their experiences in San Miguel with art and writing. There was some great writing. They followed a philosophy of story telling that I heard reviewed on NPR lately. Most stories come from things that are obscure to most people. The job of the writer is to find those things and make them into an interesting story. Good stuff!

My last shop stop was in the only clothing store I saw there. I had a very nice conversation with the shop keeper, my next friend of the trip. She was an American married to a Mexican man. He was the clothing designer. The clothes were lovely….way to big for me for the most part. But, I loved the free flowing styles and the bright colors, which are typical here. She was also selling some jewelry made by a 17 year old Mexican girl from Leon. It was beautiful and fairly reasonably priced, so I bought a few pieces.

I shared my phone story with her and she got on the phone and called her computer guru to see if he would be able to help me. He couldn’t, but directed me on to Telecel. They couldn’t help either. But, what a nice gesture. I am always blown away by the kindness of strangers and their willingness to help you. Kind of restores your faith in human-kind.

Anyway, after a nice Latte at the outdoor cafe, I decided I would move on. I have heard varying reviews of this facility from people I have met. I think people find the items to be too expensive. I agree. My level of sophistication in this area is not that high. So, I have a hard time justifying the cost. But, I found it interesting to look, even it I wasn’t buying. And, the shop keepers were fine with that. I liked the experience.

I’m headed tonight to a bar/restaurant recommended by my airplane friend that has a large selection of local Mexican wines. Yep, you heard it. Even Mexico has wine! I’m going to check it out and then head for a concert at the Biblioteca Auditorium.

By the way, I did get to the Rosewood last night. Sadly, there was a windstorm going on here. You can imagine how it was on the top of the hotel. I’m luck to have lived to tell about it! I had a Margarita and left. Planning to try it again if the wind dies down. It was pretty and the views were spectacular. This is the only other picture I will be able to share from this trip. But, it’s a doozy. The view was spectacular!

So, signing off for now. Please forward any items to include in the obituary for my phone……HA!

Adios for now….

Actually, boots will not do the trick here in San Miguel. You MUST have a good pair of walking shoes with thick soles and ankle support if you plan to do any kind of real walking. Unless, of course, you want to turn your ankle. In that case, wear any shoes you want!

Every street in San Miguel is made with cobblestones. It’s very beautiful, but not easy for walking. So, I opted for my “American detector” brilliant white gym shoes. I have been pegged as a tourist. But, my back, ankles, and feet are still in tact…at least at a high level….which is key to my enjoyment of my next few days here. So, for the time I am here, you may identify me as a tourist. I don’t care.

I spent today walking the city. You may remember from other posts that this is usually something I do on my first day out. I like to get a lay of the land early on so I have some idea of where I am going and what’s around me. So, after a very good “sleep in” this morning, I started out. (Isn’t it funny how a kind of “sleeping sickness” sets in when you are on vacation? I just didn’t want to get up this morning. I also didn’t want to miss breakfast. So, I rolled out of bed and got started for the day.)

The ladies I met yesterday suggested that I go to the Rosewood Hotel for a drink while I am here in town. It is apparently a great place to see the sunset. The hotel is not far from my B & B and I haven’t walked in that direction yet, so I decided to try to find this so as not to be wandering aimlessly through town with a map at night. This is never a good idea. This place looks very upscale. I hope they will let me in later when I go for a drink! I’ll have to clean up a bit.

I walked on a little further to the Benito Juarez Parc. This is a rather substantial park full of well-manicured greenery. There is an area for small children with things they always love like swings, teeter totters, slides, etc. There are also many quiet sitting areas where one can contemplate life. I decided I will have to go there tomorrow with my book and stay awhile.

The park is also home to one of the few “Banyo Publicas” (public bathrooms) in town. Even though I just left my hotel about 10 minutes before, the suggestion of a bathroom within close proximity prompted me to stop in.

Here’s my next installment of “Tales of Using a Bathroom in a Foreign Country”. There was, of course, a cost for taking a pee here. It was $5 Mexican Pesos, about 38 Cents. When the nice woman guarding the bathroom collected my money, she handed me a receipt (for 38 cents) and one square of toilet paper. When I got in the stall, I realized that this was the only toilet paper I had. I found this amusing, but was grateful to have it. I did wonder, though, what one would do if they had to do more than just tinkle. I don’t think I could do it with just one square. Oh well! Anyway, the park was delightful, and I will go back there tomorrow for more. (Might carry some extra tissues with me…tee hee)

I then made my way to the main square and gathering place for the people of San Miguel. The square is right in front of the Parroquia (main church) and is surrounded with little shops and cafes. I spent some time contemplating life there, too. (To be honest, one needs to frequently sit after walking on the cobbles. I’m grateful for some nice places to do that.)

The Parroquia is interesting. It is fashioned after the Familia Segrada in Barcelona…same style, color, everything. Had to stop for a minute to remember where I was. The inside was quite pretty and very ornate. There are many churches here in San Miguel. I stopped in many of them on my travels today. They are all pretty in their own way…and ornate.

After my meditation at the churches, I decided I would try to find La Biblioteca, the public library. This was recommended as somewhere that American and Canadian expats come to gather and make friends. (You KNEW I would need to find this.) This is an interesting facility. There is an English and Spanish selection of books to lend and a small book shop where I purchased the updated guide to San Miguel. (had one from 2006….still functional, but updated is better.)

There is also a section at the Biblioteca where cultural events are held and another section where movies are shown. I’m guessing I will be back to one of these venues while I am here. There is an interesting concert tomorrow night that I have my eye on.

The buildings of the Biblioteca are formed in a square wagon-wheel type format. In the middle is a small courtyard where the expats “hang out”. I picked up a copy of “Atencion” (a publication in English that outlines things to do for the week), sat down and began to read. My next new friend, John, sat down across from me and we began to talk. Had a real nice conversation about a lot of things. He is from Atlanta then Texas and decided to move here when he met a woman, with whom he now lives. I asked him if he liked it here. He said he did, but if he had more money, he would probably do something else. It’s not a perfect fit (is anything?).

San Miguel was voted best small town (or something like that) in 2013. There are signs all over town to tell you about it. John said that’s all well and good. But, they only review the main part of town. When you get to the outskirts, there is filth and poverty. They don’t tell people about that part.

So, he was happy….sort of.

I did relay my bathroom story because I thought it was funny (it WAS…don’t you think?). He looked at me with very serious eyes and said, “You need to always carry toilet paper with you in San Miguel.” He wasn’t kidding. There was another public “banyo” at the library that I made use of. (I was there…why not.) I started to go into a stall and an English speaking woman looked at me and said, “I have to be honest. I just peed all over the seat in that stall. You might want to use another one.” First, I can’t remember the last time I have actually sat on the seat of a public toilet and second, why would you say that to someone? But, I thanked her and she went out. I did my business and guess what? No toilet paper! Thank goodness for tissues.

I ended my afternoon back at the square with a cerveza and some very good (and cute) Mariachis. I understand they will be back at 6:00. So, I am going to head back there to see if I can get another “fix”. Then, off to Rosewood for my drink and a light dinner. Should, be a great night.

Buenos Noches!

Don’t you just love meeting new people? I surely do, and I can honestly say that I am becoming something of an expert at it. I have said this in my blogs before, but I’ll say it again. For some reason, people just love to tell me their stories. I love to hear them, so I guess we’re even. On day 2 of my trip I have made 7 new friends. It might be a record, even for me.

Let me start from the beginning. First, I don’t think I told you where I was going. I am in Mexico in a small town called San Miguel de Allende. It’s in the Guanajuato area of Mexico, which is north of Mexico City in the middle of the country. I am not at a Mexican beach, which you may have thought. When I was looking to do a small get away on my own, I, as usual, began to ask people I know who are well traveled if they had any ideas. When I suggested to one of my good friends at the winery that I might go to Cabo or Puerto Vallarta he said, “Why would you do that? What are you going to do there? It’s a beach. After about 3 days, you will be looking for something to do.” So, he told me about San Miguel. He was right. It’s a little bit of Europe right here in central Mexico. What a great spot!

Truth be told, I was a little nervous about going to Mexico to begin with, let alone going on my own. The stories of Americans traveling in Mexico have not been too positive as of late….you know….people being detained….people having their heads cut off…..that kind of thing. I’m adventurous, but not that much!! I’m happy to say that after day 2, I have a different opinion. I still have my head (such as it is!..HA!) ….and I have the 7 new friends I told you about. Not too shabby right out of the gate!

I may have mentioned this in some past posts, but traveling from San Luis,where we live, is an adventure in itself. It’s not easy, or cheap, to get anywhere from there. We have a small airport, but most of the time, it’s not possible to use it for the reasons mentioned. So, mostly, we go out of LAX, which is about 3-3.5 hours away from San Luis. This requires a ride on the Central Coast Shuttle, which runs out of Santa Maria, about 30 minutes away from us. We use it often and it is great! But, because I was traveling internationally and on the 11:30 am flight, I had to catch the 4:00 am shuttle to get to the airport at the required 3 hours before flight time. (I sat in the airport doing nothing for about 2.5 hours. Was this early morning really necessary?!) But, Mike and I were up at 2:00 am getting me there. YIKES!

I wanted to ride shotgun with the shuttle driver because it’s the best seat in the car, and I like to chat. SURPRISE! But the driver was not up for this. Oh well, I should sleep anyway. I wanted to be alert in case I needed to make any important decisions about keeping my head, etc. As it turns out, I was the last person to be dropped off at the airport. As soon as the bus cleared out, guess what?! It turns out that the driver was up for a chat after all. In a short…..or long (depending on your perspective)…10 minute ride to my gate, I heard his life story. Interesting fellow…and hard working, too. He was my first friend of the trip….very exciting!

The flight to Mexico went smoothly and was pretty short. On the way, I met my 2nd friend of the trip. San Miguel is known for its allure as a retirement destination. The livin’ is easy….and cheap…so, many Americans and Canadians buy property and retire here. The woman I met on the plane was one of these people. She assured me that I would love spending time in San Miguel. And, if I gave her my email address, she would send me a list of fun things to do. Great! (I’m still waiting for the list, but it was a very nice gesture.)

I arrived at the airport in Leon (the most common airport that one uses when going to San Miguel) at the appointed time. I met my driver without a hitch and climbed into his van for the 1.5 hour drive to San Miguel. I was the only passenger. My new friend, George, invited me into the shotgun seat and we chatted the whole way to San Miguel. I also learned his whole life story…. and some information about Mexico.

We talked about all the different kinds of cacti that grow here (including one whose juice would make me feel “happy”. Happy is good!). I learned that corn and alfalfa are the most common crops grown and that much of the land we were traveling through was ranch land. The other interesting tidbit was that gold and silver mining are a big occupation in this area. I’m sure I should have known that. Oh well, he was happy to tell me about it.

George dropped me off right at my B & B where I was greeted by Tere, my host. She gave me a quick tour of the property and when my eyes glazed over from exhaustion and confusion, she said she understood. The building is like a labyrinth, but I would get to know it in about 10 minutes. She was right. It is a beautiful property, with many quiet sitting areas, a garden and fountain in the middle and a roof top terrace where one could sun bathe, if desired. I have to say that I will not desire to do this unless the temperature here drops about 10-15 degrees. WOW! Very hot!!

Tere was very concerned that I was traveling by myself and maybe I would not be able to find things to do and would be bored. She doesn’t know me. I never let too much grass grow under my feet, and already have my week somewhat lined out. Very nice woman, though…and helpful.

My next 4 friends came as a result of a cooking class that I took this morning. I learned to make 5 different salsas and one chicken dish, had hibiscus tea for the first time, and got a very good tutorial on chilis. The next time you have dinner at my house, it will be Mexican. Be ready! It was a lot of fun…and, great food!

Maria, the instructor was great. Gabriella and her mother were the only other 2 in the class with me. They were on a trip together in celebration of Mother’s Day. They were a “hoot”, and the 4 of us had a great time.

In fact, we had such a great time, we are meeting for dinner at a restaurant recommended by Maria in about an hour. So, I will sign off now. I need to get a shower before I go, not that it will make me smell any better. As soon as I step out into the heat, I will be a sweaty, stinky mess again. But, I will make the effort. I think this will be the type of place where you have to be OK with being stinky all the time. Not my favorite, but I think I can adjust.

Hasta Luega!

Well, it’s day 6 (I think) on the cruise. My brain still functions (at a low level) and I can still button my pants (barely). So, I thought that I would give you all an update on our activities before I totally lose all track of time and sense. Here goes!

Our trip from the center of Rome to the port (about an hour and a half ride on the slow train) was actually pretty uneventful, except for the slight panic attack I had about halfway there. I began to look around the train and realized that there were no other people in our car who appeared to be going to the ship…..no large suitcases, no excited chatter about what to eat after boarding the ship…..I mentioned this to Mike. Maybe I had the wrong day. I haven’t missed a connection on a trip for a VERY long time, so maybe I am due! I hoped not! After some of our adventures on this trip, it wouldn’t be surprising. When we got the dock, however, my fears subsided as I looked back at the others on the train platform who were leaving the other cars on the train. That’s what I was looking for…..lots of older people lugging lots of big suitcases. They were there in droves! We were at the right place! YIPPEE!!

We are cruising on the Celebrity Reflection. It is the newest and largest ship of the Celebrity fleet holding well over 3,000 people. I’m sure it’s the largest ship I have ever been on and is quite a sight from the shore. It is literally “stories” above the ground. Impressive!

Normally, we don’t pick a large ship when we cruise. We like the intimacy of the smaller ships and the customer service that is possible typically with a smaller ship. This is particularly appreciated on a Transatlantic cruise (which is what we have chosen for our passage home) where there are a very small number of ports of call. (This time, we will stop at Tenerife, St. Martin and St. Kitts.) But, this particular ship provided us the opportunity to leave on the exact day we wanted to sail and it was dirt cheap. Two things that are very important to us. So, we signed up!

I have to say that we have been very pleased with what we have found. Despite the size of the ship, we have, in our 6 days, never felt that we were crowded or overwhelmed with people. From the check-in process to meal service to disembarkation on our first shore day, we have never waited more than a few minutes. It’s much better than we expected. Also, the architectural design of the ship provides for small sitting and gathering areas all over the ship. So, you don’t typically see large crowds of people struggling for a place to light, even at the pool, where seating is usually a real challenge. Instead, you see small intimate groups chatting in small spaces and many open seats around the pool. Very well done Celebrity!

We have once again chosen the inside cabin for our transit. This is also far better than we expected or have had in the past. Usually, the inside cabins are the size of a postage stamp. This time, the room is the size of 2 postage stamps and the bathroom is bigger and more roomy than the phone booth type that is typical. We can drop the soap on the floor of the shower as much as we want and not hit our heads on the shower walls or faucets (OUCH!). I am grateful for this as I can be pretty clumsy, especially on a moving vessel!

The other thing that we are finding very nice are the perks that we are entitled to as past cruisers. You may know that cruise ships, like the airlines and hotel chains, have special programs that provide increasingly valuable benefits for those who are past cruisers and cruise often. The more you go, the more you get! Again, very important as we always try to get the best deal! We have now cruised so many times, that we are in the “Elite” category of cruisers. This the highest level you can attain and the benefits are really great!

The one that I have appreciated the most is the laundry benefit. You may remember from an earlier post that we were unable to do our laundry in Rome, as there were no laundry services in the area where we stayed. So, for about a million dollars, we had the hotel do about 6 pieces of laundry for us so that we would have some relatively clean clothes throughout our week in Rome. We were hoping not to spill so that we could maximize our clothing stash. As it turns out, I did spill. I am now the proud owner of a pair of European jeans purchased for the whopping sum of 16 Euro at a high level Walmart type of store in our Rome neighborhood! Wore them all week! They walked onto the ship by themselves…..TEE HEE!!

Anyway, as you might guess, when we got on the ship, we had not one stitch of clean clothing. Much to our surprise, the “Elite” benefits included 2 free loads of laundry and some free dry cleaning! We were even able to get Mike’s sport jacket, that he has been wearing every day for a month and a half, dry cleaned for free! Very exciting for us! It’s the small things…..you know!

We are also getting about 3 hours of internet time for free! Internet service is very sketchy on these ships and it’s always slow. It’s understandable when you realize that you are in the middle of the ocean trying to get an internet signal. I wonder how they are able to do it at all. But, when you are paying for the service, it’s maddening. They don’t factor into your cost for internet service, the lost time while you are waiting for a connection. So, you lose money every time you log on. When it’s free, this small hardship is a little easier to take.

The other benefit that we are really enjoying are the free drinks. On the cruise ship, one pays extra for any kind of drink beyond tap water, lemonade, coffee, ice tea and some limited juices. If you have a craving for a Diet Coke or a glass of wine, you are paying extra for it and it’s not cheap! Our “Elite” benefit gives us each 3 free drinks each day if we want them. Trust me, we WANT them and have taken advantage of this on each day so far. Nice touch Celebrity!

Out of our 6 days at sea, 5 of them have been sea days, which we are thoroughly enjoying. For us, sea days include sleeping, reading and eating. I always throw in at least one workout in the gym each day. ( I figure if I am going to eat 24/7, I really have to exercise. Not Mike, though. He is his usual svelt self, even without the exercise. A fantasy, really! ) For others who want to be busier, there are ship board activities running all day long. You can find just about anything you want here on the ship from trivia contests to dance lessons to wine instruction! We get a run down on these on each evening for the next day. If you want to, you can plan every minute. This is not our cruising style, but everyone is different. There are lots of opportunities to meet people, as well, which I always love. It really IS like summer camp for adults!

On this trip, to mix it up a bit, we have also randomly attended some of the entertainment shows that are provided on board. We have particularly enjoyed a men’s a cappella group and a classical guitarist that we have heard twice since we have been on the ship. The magician we saw on the second day was pretty good, too. Tonight, we will hear a pianist that we saw on our last cruise. He is Liberace reincarnated! No kidding!….he was actually “discovered” by Liberace when he was a kid….has the same flamboyance and showmanship….it’s quite enjoyable! Good stuff!

So, we are enjoying our selectively quiet passage home. What a great way to unwind after the active month that we have had traveling through Europe!

The livin’ is surely easy……….